Hawk nudges Cats home

Geelong came back from a three-goal deficit at three-quarter time to eventually defeat Hawthorn by two points. A starring role from Tom Hawkins lead the Geelong charge, as well as an adversity-ridden show of strength by captain Joel Selwood.

Tom Hawkins - www.flickr.com/photos/tdm911/

The game had more hallmarks of September football than mid-April. The day was a wintery one, with continued rain spells and gusty winds. Despite this, both disposal and marking was excellent on both sides, epitomised by Hawkins with 12 marks.

Both teams were out of the blocks quickly. Flamboyant Geelong forward Steve Johnson had an early impact, with two of his three goals coming early in the first quarter.

However, it remained a tight contest, with both sides playing man-on-man football for the most part rather than the zone setups that are preferred in modern football.

However, with Sam Mitchell racking up a 31-disposal midfield display of dominance and Lance Franklin continually threatening, the Hawks continued to fight, with their lead at one point reaching out to 21 points.

The Geelong lift was that of a champion team, the momentum shift only coming late in the final term.

Michael Osbourne had an open goal, but a desperate tackle from Andrew Mackie prevented the Hawk scoring.

Two goals from James Podsiadly gave Geelong the lead once more, and despite the Hawks having late chances, including misses by Luke Breust, Lance Franklin, Shaun Burgoyne and a missed snap from Jack Gunston with nine seconds left to play, the Cats held on.

The game was a final. The jubilation in the Geelong rooms was extraordinary for Round 2, and the Hawthorn players were shattered in defeat.